The Royal Circus of God
by NightOwl-AnneMarrie
Summary: I told you two thousand times, my dear/ Never to fall in love with a man/ Who's broken beyond all repair/ If I told you once, I told you twice/ I was held in the grip of incurable vice/ Now your screams fall like vaporous stones from your mouth into the night air. (A rewrite following the main cast and a few OCs, their complicated lives and relationships. Summary and intro inside)
1. I - Smoke

_Come in, come in - yes, you! Don't be shy, you're just on time! Take a seat wherever you'd like. We were just about to begin! For those of you who are here for the first time, let me give you a warning. Please keep your eyes wide open if you choose to come close to the ring - unless you wish to become a volunteer, of course. In that case, who am I to stop you? They say that life is a stage, but have you wondered where does this saying come from? I'd say it's time you began, because this is the Royal Circus of God, and every night we will put on the most realistic show you've ever seen! Tonight, you are in luck, for this is the first episode of many, part of a series inspired by the biblical stories of the great flood and the apocalypse that will come. I would tell you not to fear, but I am only the presenter! Not even I know what the scriptwriter had prepared for you!_

 _What I do know though is what a show this will become - a tragic story of passion, love, betrayal, and dark secrets revealed at the last moment! As always, we have prepared another secular war between the forces of Darkness and those of the divine Light. This time, those who swear to save as many souls as they can are called the Black Order, while the ones you should fear call themselves the Noah family. They are all trying to find the Innocence of this world - the first so they can save it, the latter so they can destroy it. That being said, please welcome a few of our favorite artists here, at the Royal Circus of God!_

 _Entering the scene at once, getting along like fire and gasoline, bringing out the worst in each other, the Clown and the Swordsman! With his immaculate cape of white, a cursed child who can see the tortured souls stolen by the Dark Lord will stumble his way through tears and laughter! He swore to always keep walking, juggling with anything you might throw at him. Ladies and gentlemen, the Clown of God! But before I lose my head, let me introduce to you our most talented Swordsmen, returned from the land of the dead with inhuman endurance and accuracy! Cursed to rise again from the mud and make the world a better place, he swore his heart to a ghost and chained his soul to the past! Battling his own demons at night and the Dark Lord's creations by day, the never-tiring Swordsman!_

 _But what is that, taking shape behind me? Is it an archer, or a knight? The Grim Ripper, some might say! Blessed or cursed with the blue blood of noble roots and with a foreign heart beating in her chest, she changes her weapon right under your eyes! Keep looking at her hands as she will melt the bow into a scythe, mold it into a knife or stretch it into a whip, only to wrap it up into the nightmare of anyone going up against her. Full of surprises and always pulling out another ace from her sleeve, please welcome the Clown's most loyal partner - the Innocent Illusionist! In order to meet the pair of our rather intimidating Swordsman, please look up as she swings between the Black Order and the Noah family! With no sense of danger or any safety net beside her partner's arms, our Harlequin will make you hold your breath and cover your eyes - a puppet pulling the strings!_

 _From the elder generation, prepare to be amazed by the rather controversial couple! With the face of an angel, she dictates nature and brings back the ice age in under a minute, while he rolls every rule of the Order and every trick of the Dark Lord into a cigarette and puffs out his own masterpieces. An Inventor of our days with a library on his shoulders and the Ice Queen by his side, the masters of magic and controversy! With a snap of her whip, our lovely Beastmaster can turn the most adorable little monkey into a raging storm of claws and teeth, tearing through the apocalyptic creations of the Dark Lord. Then, prepare yourself to rediscover the beauty of the world through the eyes of our Artist, opening the gates of heavens before us all._

 _Now, before we can start the show, please welcome the Dark Lord and his impressive family. The only one who dares steal from him, little Miss Fortune sitting on the floating umbrella. This young lady will orchestrate your nightmares and bring to life your every fear with the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve! The incredible Strongman will bring down lightning from the land of the gods and smash the table for candy, while the two of a kind Chemical Bromance will blow you away just for the look on your face! Depending on his mood, Sir Prize might reach out and steal your heart, give you a couple butterflies in your stomach, or just flash you a killer grin and go after our cursed Clown - who could ever tell? But please, try to stay away from the tiny Black Cat if you get to see her. This little kitty has a habit of whipping her tail a little more than others!_

 _And I would know - there are many others! So many, you would fall asleep listening to me if I kept going on and on about the Watchers, the Telepath, or the Acrobat with the black heels! We have a Puppeteer, a Madman, an Emperor losing his power slowly and steadily, a living Doll, a couple of dark angels, a Scene Director, a handful of Pirates and enough characters blurring the already thin line between good and evil, all charming in their own way and hoping to steal you a tear, a smile, your very soul! So grab your popcorn and cotton candy, make yourself comfortable in your seat and keep coming back every evening for the next act of this beautiful, tragic, dramatic story what we are going to play for you here, on the life-like stage of the Royal Circus of God! For tonight, I am leaving you in the company of the Inventor, the Clown and the Harlequin, splitting roads in India._

* * *

 _I - Smoke_

* * *

There was a strange feel about the air tonight, she could feel it in the exhaled smoke as they both took long draws from their pipes. For the past five years, the girl had followed the man who effortlessly laid her nightmares to sleep.

In her earliest memory of him, he was different. The man was much taller and perhaps a little scary, mostly because she couldn't see half of his face, though he looked more like a god through the eyes of a scared child. She had come from a wealthy family who owned perhaps the best restaurant in the area. It was only natural that many people crossed their doorstep every day, some of them politicians, others priests, noblemen, even some exorcists from time to time. When she was eleven, the girl remembered how strange his clothes had seemed, trimmed in gold instead of silver. Ignoring her mother's warning not to disturb the man, she'd ran up to his table, sat down and began questioning him. Her childish mind had seen nothing wrong with it.

Opening her eyes, she returned to the present moment. Pursing her lips, she sucked the smoke from her pipe and held it in her lungs for a moment. "Are we going to leave India?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"Yes," he replied with a sigh, his eyes following the patterns from which the smoke swirled and spread above them. He remembered how the girl had jumped from her hiding spot, throwing cutlery at a Noah – it was madness, but it offered him a nice distraction.

"Is that all…?" she asked after a moment of silence. "Aren't you going to tell me where we'll be going from here?" It was a sort of unspoken agreement between them to be civil around each other. He only seemed to act that way with women – which he had everywhere. Though the girl didn't mind it. They weren't lovers, why would she even bother?

"You should quit," he answered instead. It seemed unrelated, but in a way, it answered her question.

"Where are you going then…?" the girl changed her question. They both knew this moment would come, so there was no reason to make a tragedy out of it. They both hated tragedies and exaggerated reactions. The calm of the evening was delightful, it would be a shame to waste it on useless conflict.

"I will be staying here, but not for long. I want you two to head to the Order's headquarters." He didn't seem too happy about it, though he surely had his reasons to make this decision.

Ignoring the numerous questions she had, the girl sighed deeply. "Alright… But we will meet again, right?"

Both of them knew it was only something she needed to hear. The man nodded in agreement, though neither of them actually believe it. There was nothing certain, but it would be a shame if his two apprentices couldn't even make it to the Black Order in one piece. As much as he despised the thought, the General had to admit that it was a possibility.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked, setting down the pipe without even looking at it again. If her master wanted her to quit, she would. He was the reason she started smoking two years ago after all, simply because it made the scent easier to tolerate.

"I will, tomorrow," the man answered her. "I want you to leave as soon as he wakes up." The General was aware that his younger apprentice wouldn't take the news as lightly. The boy feared being left alone. That much hasn't changed yet, even if he had tried leaving him alone for short periods of time. The boy depended on them way too much.

"Alright…" she said with a weak nod. "Will you tell the Order about us? You don't keep in touch, they could track you down if you do."

With a small smirk, the man answered in an amused tone. "I'll be long gone before the letter reaches them. They'll know about you in time, unless that stupid irresponsible director loses the letter before opening it…"

The girl chuckled bitterly. "We'll find a way then. Timcanpy should be proof enough."

He nodded. "Go to bed," he said in a gentle tone. The man didn't usually explain his orders, but it was obvious why he would tell her to sleep. It was already early morning and she had a long way to go. It would be best for them both to be well rested before they began their separate journeys. At least, no one had to worry about Allen getting enough sleep – the boy could sleep as much as twelve hours at a time.

Standing up a little reluctantly, the girl put on a small smile. "Good night, master." They both knew it was goodbye, though she decided to say what she had said every night before that one. In a way, it seemed less dramatic than a real goodbye – it left place for _'Good morning'_ , some day.

Because she stayed up late that night, once she fell asleep, she didn't wake until late morning. When she did, her master was gone – but his things were still in his room, like he said. She went and bathed quickly, then dressed herself and caught up her hair. Before that, she looked at her hair pins – her beautiful weapon, crafted by her master and with a small cross at the thicker end of each. It was a pair that he said she would eventually learn how to unite as one, though for now she could only use the two pins individually.

Her Innocence had been that of a puppet that her family had used to attract people into their restaurant. Being invited in by a little dancing puppet, jumping and spinning around like a talented acrobat was certainly unusual – it was probably the reason the General had stopped at their restaurant in the first place. It was probably also why that little girl with dark skin had attacked them – a Noah, as she later found out.

Pinning her hair in place, she went looking for her younger… friend, she guessed? The first place where she expected to find him was the nearest restaurant. When nobody there seemed to have any idea about the white-haired boy, Amara went to knock on his door. Perhaps he was still asleep – he had an appetite for sleep and food that shocked most people. Chefs would usually look at him like he was nuts. With a smirk, the girl knocked again.

"Allen? Wake up already, will you?" she called through the door. When he didn't answer, she opened the door. "Allen?"

The boy was in a corner, in a not very comfortable position and with his back hunched. Once she neared him, she saw a big bump on his head. Sighing, Amara shook her head. Timcanpy flew up to her.

"What happened here, Timmy?" she asked the golden golem as it created a hologram showing their master saying his 'goodbyes' in a very… predictable way, she thought.

For a moment, the girl thought she should splash some cold water on him, but the boy had already had a rough start that day. Instead, she bent down and shook his shoulder. "Allen? Come on, wake up. We need to go to the Black Order."

Twitching his right hand, the boy opened his eyes in a panic attempting to stand, only to fall on his butt before he could do so. "Wha-? Uh… The Black Order… Did Master send you?" he asked, fearful of the girl's habits of playing pranks on him. Some were quite painful or humiliating… though it didn't even came close to his teacher's punches.

"I'm going with you, rice bean. Get ready, we need to move." Nearing his ear, the girl whispered something sure to make him pack up instantly. "Our dear Master won't be very pleased to find you still around when he comes back."

Jumping on his feet and widening his eyes, Allen felt a cold chill running down his spine. "A moment! I don't even have that much to pack, I'll be done in a second."

The boy couldn't believe it though. Was his master really considering him an exorcist? Was his training complete? He was too afraid to ask. And… well, he had left him alone before, but why did he tell Amara to go with him? As far as he knew, Amara was usually traveling either alone or with the general… Mostly with their master, though. Before this, the two of them had never been paired together.

Packing the few clothes he had, Allen took one last glance behind as he was closing the door. He had some rather painful memories about India… The boy had lost a friend there. Timcanpy noticed and leaned on his shoulder.

"You're right, I'm not alone," the boy smiled weakly as he pet the golem.

"No, but you will be," Amara said from the front door. "Timmy?" she called, but the golem stayed with Allen. "Fine then, golden little backstabber. I guess I'll eat lunch alone today," she shrugged with a half smirk on her face as she turned around to leave. Even so, her pace was slow.

It didn't take Allen more than a few seconds to catch up, but Timcanpy was already flying beside her. "You didn't really mean that… did you?"

Chuckling, Amara took advantage of her height and pet Allen on the head as if he was a small child or dog. "If you don't come along, I'll be left with no choice. Though I'd rather see another chef marvel at your appetite." She wasn't much taller than him, but considering they both still had time to grow a little taller, Amara was taking advantage of the difference.

Allen removed her hand from his head and sighed. "Why'd you always have to do that…?" Being shorter than other boys his age was embarrassing enough for him, Allen didn't want to be made fun of because of it – especially not in public, and especially not by a girl.

"Aw, is the little rice bean upset…? What is the cute little baby going to do about it?" the girl chuckled in a teasing voice. Instead of giving her an answer, Allen looked away in silence. "Come on, now. What kind of siblings would we be without moments like these…?"

"I guess…" Allen answered with a short smile. "Which one is our train?"

The boy didn't even have time to ask before Amara was already running after one that was just about to leave. "That one!" she yelled over her shoulder. Dodging other people easily, the girl jumped and caught the train, then held out her hand for Allen. Once he was on board as well, the girl began scolding him. "Why do we always have to be late? Why can't you be responsible for once and wake up at a reasonable hour?"

"But I did…! But our Master knocked me out and-!" he began defending himself.

"Excuses, excuses… Go, find a nice compartment." Sending Allen ahead, the girl took a few moments to glance back. She wanted to smoke, to fill her lungs with warmth and numb that feeling of emptiness in her chest… Sighing, she turned and followed Allen. A promise was a promise – not out of fear of punishment, but out of a sense of responsibility. Or perhaps she simply wanted her master to look at her with pride the next time they'd meet.

* * *

 _ **Authors' Notes:**_

 _This story is a collaboration between **NightOwlCC** and **Anne-Marrie95** as authors and **HardSonadowFanGirl** as our beta reader. It is our second attempt at writing something together and hopefully, worth the effort. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated, so please, **review,** favorite, follow, or even PM us. _

_We as authors do not claim rights over the D Gray Man official plot line, manga, anime, or any other official content, the official characters or the official dialogues. The scenes and dialogues reproduced in this story do not bring us any profit and we are using them for free-shared entertainment purposes only. However, we do take credit for our original characters, for our added twists and newly inserted scenes, secondary plots and romantic pairs. We also take credit for our interpretation of the D Gray Man characters and plot. The story aims to be a slightly Alter-Universe rewrite._

 _The lyrics in the description are from the song "If I Told You Once" by Circus Contraption._

 _The first original character introduced, Amara / Amaranta Salvatore was created by and belongs to **NightOwlCC** entirely. Other OCs will be introduced further on, claimed by their respective author here, in the Authors' Notes section._

 _For the cover of this story, we are using "The Carnival" by **Shippw** on DeviantArt. The picture was found on Google Images, cropped and edited. It had no visible signature._

 _Edit: The text in Italics at the top serves as a presentation of the story. As you have probably guessed already, the story adopts a circus theme and makes it an analogy to the everyday life of the exorcists. There are three OCs presented so far, but for the next few chapters, Amara will be the only one present. The canon characters will be introduced gradually, as well as the remaining OCs. I did edit the top section and made it longer after receiving some feedback saying it did not focus enough on the canon characters, so hopefully it is better now. _


	2. II - Sleep, exorcists, sleep!

_II - Sleep, exorcists, sleep!_

* * *

The journey was rather exhausting for them both. For Allen, it was because he couldn't get a full night's sleep in a comfortable bed and sometimes, he couldn't even get a large enough meal – either because they couldn't afford it, or because he couldn't find a good cook. Amara had estimated the time they would be spending on the road and had made a budget for each day – one that they had to respect. Allen soon found out that not even his grumbling stomach could convince her to forget about their daily budget.

"This is all he left us, do you understand? We have to make it there alive. I don't care if you didn't eat enough, we have to eat every day. Would you rather eat everything you want for a week, then beg on the street for a piece of moldy bread?" Amara was already tired of the boy's constant complaints.

"Well, no… but can't we make just one exception?" he begged. Timcanpy was flying around him in agreement, as Allen looked up with pleading eyes, his stomach grumbling.

Sighing, the girl eventually gave in. "On one condition. You get half of what we can spend a day – just in case you lose it. Find someone to fool at cards or gambles or whatever you know best. If you get in trouble, we meet at the train station."

Grinning widely, Allen held out his hand. "I won't lose it. That's a promise!"

"Make the most of this," the girl grinned back and gave him half of their budget for tomorrow. "If you lose, there won't be a second time."

As Allen disappeared through the crowd, Amara sighed and went on her way. They should find some place to stay the night cheap enough so they would afford lunch as well. Amara has never actually seen Allen win anything at cards, but the boy had been talking about the money he could make in one night of playing cards with strangers. He said he could walk into a bar with a few coins and leave with enough to last him for a week – which, considering his appetite, had to be a quite generous sum.

She entered an small inn. The building didn't look to be in the best shape, but it was still open. The rooms would hopefully be the cheapest in town. In the lobby, the purple-haired girl didn't find anyone. She rang the bell on the counter and waited. She got an odd feeling about the place, but Amara thought it was simply her eyes not liking the view. The floor was a little dusty and there were shoe prints of mud on the side. The stairs were made of wood that hadn't been polished for quite some time. She saw spider webs in one of the corners. Traveling with their master most of the time, she had gotten used to some very different conditions. Even so, they were on a tight budget now.

After a minute or two, a little old man came to greet her , barely dragging his feet. Hunched and bald at the top of his head, the man had a ring of hair around the back of his head and a short beard. He looked more like a ghost with his pale skin, white hair and pale crème shirt. When he looked up, Amara was surprised to meet a pair of beautiful green eyes, shining with the excitement of a youthful man. Instantly, the old man smiled.

"Good afternoon, young lady. How may I be of service?" he asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Good afternoon, sir," Amara returned his smile. "I would like to rent a room. Do you have any available with twin beds, if possible?"

The man's smile began to fade. "I do… Actually, all of the rooms are available. There are three with twin beds, but may I ask who you are here with?"

"A cousin," she replied, quickly changing the subject. "If you don't mind me asking, why are all of your rooms empty?"

"I do mind, young lady. Will you give me a name?" The old man pulled out a register from under the desk and turned it towards Amara. "Please," he asked her.

Already suspicious, the girl went along and signed herself under a false name. Making sure her signature won't be easily read, she turned the register back towards the old man. "How much do I owe you sir?" she asked with a smile.

"You'll pay when you leave. Stay for as long as you wish," he answered. The man then gave her a key. "Your room is one of the best. Up the stairs, to the left and down the hall."

"Thank you." With a smile and a nod, Amara took the key and went upstairs to check out their room. There was something she disliked about the man, even if she couldn't tell what exactly. Setting down her bag, the teenager checked every corner of the room, under the beds and inside and behind the closet. The most she had found were some spiders and more dust.

Amara went to the bathroom, checking every corner for possible threats. Once again, the worst she had found was rust, spider webs, dust and some mold. Looking in the mirror, she leaned against the sink and sighed. Black circles under her eyes and a few messy hairs were beginning to show just how much the journey exhausted her every day. The poor conditions, the constant worries that they could be attacked or fooled by somebody, Allen complaining they couldn't afford to buy as much food as he wanted and keeping track of trains – everything was adding up for her.

She looked at the little red veins in the whites of her eyes and her dilated pupils. Her violet eyes were losing their joyful shine. She wanted nothing more than a couple of hours with her master, talking about the most insignificant things and smoking together. Then, he would have to look out for Akuma or Noah, not her – that was possibly the most stressful part of traveling without him.

There were Noah who could blend into human society. Amara knew at least two of them did that quite frequently – a man and a woman. She didn't bother to remember names since they would most likely use aliases, but she knew of them from her master. Then, there were the Akuma who would sometimes disguise themselves as humans, but Allen could tell them apart with his cursed eye and Amara could read their gestures. It wasn't really an ability, but by closely observing them, especially their facial expression and eyes, the girl could accurately guess most of the time.

Returning to the main room, Amara took the money with her and left. She ventured into town in hopes of finding Allen and telling him about their room. It didn't take her too long – apparently, he had become quite well known in a couple of bars after daring the most notorious card 'masters' and beating them several times in a row. She found him at a table, in a filthy bar stinking of all kinds of alcohol, sweat, bad cigarettes and whatnot.

"Allen? We need to talk." Unfortunately, the boy didn't seemed to have heard her. "Allen!" she called a little louder.

"A moment!" he replied without even looking at her. The boy had a strange grin on his face and his eyes were dark. That was unusual for someone as light-hearted and easy-going as him.

"Allen…" she said in a lower voice, almost growling through her teeth. Several men were watching Amara, those behind her trying to look at her breasts over her shoulder. "If we don't go out of this filthy place right now…"

"I'm almost…!" Allen muttered, watching his cards carefully.

"Will you…" the girl began, only to feel a foreign hand sliding down her behind and trying to reach between her legs, "hurry the hell up?!" Amara elbowed the man in his side, twisted his arm and turned him with his back towards her. "These men have no manners," she grinned right before kicking the man's own ass, sending him to the floor.

Standing back up, the man glared at her in drunken rage. Several others began calling her names. When Allen heard, he got up without finishing his game. "Now, now, there's no need to get violent… right?" he tried to calm down the intoxicated crowd, but they began calling him a cheat and a thief. Soon, punches, legs, tables and bottles were flying everywhere. Taking advantage of their height, the two made their way out, then ran through the streets until they reached the small inn.

"Why did you come?" Allen asked after catching his breath.

"To tell you about the room, obviously. Do you always get into trouble with disgusting men like those?" Amara didn't want to believe it. They both smelled horrible and their clothes were ripped and stained.

"Sometimes… You shouldn't have come. We could just meet at the train station. I could have tripled my win in that game, that's why I told you to wait." The boy looked disappointed. "Anyway… So this is where we're staying?" the boy asked as he looked up at the building.

She nodded. "By the way, we're cousins here," she whispered just as they were about to enter the building. The two saluted the innkeeper, then Amara led her 'cousin' to their room and unlocked the door. "Look around. Do you see anything?" She tapped one of her cheeks right underneath her eye. That should tell Allen exactly what he was supposed to look for.

Allen did as he was told. His cursed eye could see Akuma even through walls or whole buildings, but this time he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Shaking his head, he sat on one of the beds. "I think you worry too much."

Frowning, Amara took out her hair pins and let her hair flow. "Hm… There's something I don't like about the inn keeper. He may not be an Akuma, but he is definitely hiding something."

Turning a shade paler than usual, Allen eyed her suspiciously. "Then, do you think he's… part of the clan…?" When his partner shook her head, Allen sighed in relief.

"I doubt it… I mean, why would he be?" she asked him, then continued after a moment. "There aren't any bizarre events reported in this town, right? Where there's no Innocence, there should be no… trouble, of any kind." It seemed only logical and to Allen, it sounded rather reassuring. Amara however, was having a hard time convincing herself of it.

Laying in bed, Allen sighed, tired after a long day. When he opened his eyes, Amara was glaring at him. "What?! What did I do?"

"It's not what you did, it's what you didn't. Go shower." The order was short and clear. It reminded him of their master… but Amara was far easier to get along with. At least she didn't punch him whenever he forgot to do something.

Sitting up, Allen ran his hands over his face. "Can't I shower in the morning…?"

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Ew! No way, you stink! Go, right now!" Timcanpy flew up and down on the windowsill in agreement.

"Alright…" Allen mumbled as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

Left alone, Amara began to think of their plan for tomorrow. Still, she had a bad feeling about the inn keeper. Leaning against the bathroom door, she knocked. "Hey, Allen…?"

"Wha-! But I just…" he began.

"No, it's fine. Take your time. I just want to ask… Didn't you notice anything odd about the inn keeper?"

Confused and already undressed, Allen filled the tub and thought for a moment. He remembered the old man in detail. "…Not really. I mean, he looked just like any other old man, maybe just glad to see someone taking a room after a while."

Amara sighed. "The building looks horrible, no wonder we're his only costumers. It almost looks abandoned, don't you think?"

"Well, now that you mention it… Yeah, it kind of does. But maybe it's a family business and the old man's the only one left," Allen tried to find an explanation.

"I asked him about it and he didn't want to talk. Anyone as alone as you say would probably engage into conversation with the first person willing to listen, right?" the girl continued.

"I think you worry too much. Maybe he doesn't have an easy past and doesn't like to talk about it." Sinking to the bottom again, Allen began washing himself. "We're leaving tomorrow anyway, what could possibly happen?"

Amara went to sit on her bed. Perhaps she was too stressed, analyzing every single detail. Allen could be right… Just then, she heard a knock on their door. Standing up cautiously, she signaled for Timcanpy to hide, the golem taking place above the door. When she opened the door with her hair pins in one hand, she found the old man with the youthful green eyes standing there with a smile on his pale face.

"Good evening, young lady. If it is not too much to ask, would you help me prepare something for dinner? And could your cousin join us later? You won't have to pay for this," he offered.

Looking towards the bathroom door, Amara decided to go along with the offer. "I'll tell my cousin about it, put my hair up and I will join you in a moment. You can go ahead, sir."

"Oh, it's alright," the man refused, "I don't mind waiting here."

Amara went and tapped the bathroom door. "Allen? The inn keeper offered us free dinner. I'll be down in the kitchen. Don't take too long in there, alright?"

"Dinner?" Allen repeated instantly. "I'll be right there!"

Well, at least she could always count on Allen when it came to food. The girl lifted up her dark violet hair and pinned it in place with her weapon. "May I ask why you're so kind, sir?"

Apparently much more sociable, the old man nodded as he walked half a step ahead and led her to the kitchen. "I've been rather lonely, young lady. Not many costumers come here these days… You see, my son left to study and he didn't come back. My wife died a few years ago. She'd been suffering from a lung disease for years when it happened…" His voice faded into a strangled sob. "And they've opened hotels and inns much prettier than mine. I couldn't afford to pay maids to keep it clean, and so… it got the way it is now."

Nodding, the girl followed. "I'm sorry to hear this, sir." In truth, she wasn't very moved by the man's story. Strangely enough, it seemed to match Allen's guesses entirely. Could it be just a coincidence, or has he been listening to their conversation?

"I'm afraid I don't have any meat to offer you, but I do have some vegetables…" the man said once they were in the kitchen.

Knowing Allen, he won't have enough with just vegetables. "I have some spare change. I'll go see what I can find, but it will take a little while."

With a smile, the man agreed. "Very well, then. I haven't had any meat in months…" he laughed, watching Amara leave the inn in a hurry. It was rather late so she wouldn't have many choices to pick from, but she was more than willing to try.

In the mean time, Allen was done with his shower, more or less dry and in clean clothes. He took Timcanpy and rushed down the stairs, expecting to smell something good from the kitchen. To his surprise, the room was empty. Disappointed, he decided to sit down and wait for someone to come back. He waited for almost half an hour before the old man entered the kitchen from a different door than the one Allen used. Did the second door lead to a storage room?

"Good evening, sir," Allen greeted him. Was it just his imagination, or had some of the man's wrinkles disappeared…? Blinking a few times, the boy looked at the other again. This second time, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Good evening, young man," the inn keeper said with a polite smile. He didn't seem too happy to see Allen there.

Just then, Amara returned. "All I could find was fish. I think this should do," she said, setting down the fish on the table. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"Don't worry, I have all the time in the world," the man grinned for a moment. He took the fish and cut its belly open, taking out the guts. His hands were moving fast and his knife was extremely precise. In a few seconds, he had taken out the fish's spine, cut its tail and head and was already setting it in a tray.

Both children were looking at each other in amazement. Was that man really such an experienced chef? Amara neared him. "Do you need any help, sir?"

"I can manage, thank you. It's simply nice to have someone with me," the old man answered as he peeled and cut some vegetables and set them on the tray, beside the fish. He then put the tray in the oven.

"So, um…" Allen tried to start a conversation, but didn't succeed. It was awkward to just sit in silence.

"Are you travelers?" the old man asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes! We're on our way to Europe," Allen answered in a hurry.

The man whistled. "That's a long way from here…! Where are you from?"

This time, Amara answered before Allen could. "Europe, but we visited our 'uncle' in India."

"Another traveler…?" the inn keeper kept asking.

The two exorcists looked at each other. "A… monk," Amara eventually said. "He travels wherever he hears of demons disturbing the peace." The girl tried to explain in a way that wouldn't give them or the Order away.

"I see… And are you going back home now?" the old man asked again, to which both of them nodded. "The boy's hair is quite unusual and so is his eye. I don't think I've come across anyone with that condition."

Allen laughed nervously. "Oh, this? It's nothing, really! It doesn't affect my sight or anything, it just looks a little strange."

"You do look rather strange, young man… With that bandaged arm of yours, the sign under your eye, the unusual hair color… Yours should be vibrant with color at your age, not plain white like mine." When he got no answer, he continued. "That arm of yours… has it been burned? Are those scars you're trying to cover?"

"Not exa-" Allen began, but stopped once he felt a kick under the table.

"He doesn't like to talk about it. It's a bad burn he got when he was a baby. My parents had a restaurant back then that burned. It didn't heal very well, I'm sure you've heard of others with this issue," Amara responded instead. "His hair went white from fright." She had heard of people who had accidents and whose hair turned white at a young age because of the scare. They were few, but it was possible and that was all that mattered in the moment.

The man's green eyes watched her with a hint of amusement. The girl couldn't read his expression, it seemed almost contradictory. His face almost looked sad, but his eyes were mocking both of them. What was wrong with the story? It seemed true, made sense and tied up those loose ends in a plausible way… right?

"That's quite a lot happening to you at a young age…" he said while looking at them both. "Your hair pins look quite expensive. I'm sure they could have paid for your stay at a more respectable hotel."

Allen looked at Amara for an answer. She was older than him, after all… The boy never thought he would count on that small age difference. Amara saw and shot him a look. "They're not for sale."

"Oh…? Why not?" the old man asked, well aware of the exchange of looks between them.

"They are inherited in my family, I couldn't afford to lose them," Amara eventually said.

After a while, the man set the table and they all ate. He even bothered to serve them, setting a piece of fish and a few generous spoons of vegetables on the side. Allen dug right in, asking for a second and a third portion. Amara had to admit it tasted good, but because she didn't trust the man who cooked their meal, she barely touched her food.

Once they were done, the man refused Amara's offer of washing the dishes and sent them to their room. Allen was so sleepy, he could barely walk up the stairs anymore. Oddly, Amara began feeling tired as well and Timcanpy gave up flying, slumbering on Allen's head instead.

Initially, she wanted to try and stay awake through the night, just in case anything happened. When they reached their room though, she could only drop Allen and Timcanpy on his bed before she fell on hers. The girl couldn't fight it – she couldn't even keep her eyes open anymore. Before she knew it, they were both in a heavy, dreamless sleep.

Amara had no idea what was going on around her. It all felt too numb… The only thing she knew was that the air was rather hot, like a sunny day in the middle of August. Her mind tried to build a dream around the feeling, but all she could see was the sun for a couple of seconds. In her struggle, the girl noticed the hot air couldn't be part of a dream. Forcing herself to become aware of her surroundings, she fought the overwhelming numbness of her body and eventually, managed to wake up. The room was on fire and her hair was free. Looking around, she couldn't find her hair pins, which meant she was defenseless.

Amara tried to wake up Allen, but not even the mention of their master's words seemed to work. Looking around, she dragged herself to the bathroom using the bed covers and filled a rusty bucket with water. She made her way back to Allen and splashed him with half of it, then poured the rest on her head.

"Wake the hell up! You're gonna burn to a crisp, you idiot apprentice!" she growled through her teeth.

Dizzy, Allen eventually opened his eyes, only to jolt awake when he saw the flames. "What's going on? The old man! We've got to save him!"

"Our asses come first," Amara protested.

"I can't leave him there!" Allen said as he picked up Timcanpy and put it in a pocket.

"You really are an idiot! How are you going to save anyone when we can't save ourselves?!" the girl yelled just as the floor gave in underneath Allen's bed and more fire burst through the hole.

"The window," Allen said after looking around for a moment. "We can jump out, then I'll go looking for the old man."

"Me too. I think he has something that's mine," the girl agreed.

Allen tried to activate his anti-Akuma weapon, but his arm refused. He tried again and again, but it gave him no answer. "I can't?! But why…?"

"I think I get it now… Look," the girl pointed out the window. "The other house is close enough. We jump there, hold onto the balcony's railway, then slowly slide down. It won't be too long a way down from there."

Nodding, Allen used his foot to kick open the window. Its frames were already catching fire. "You first," he asked and Amara didn't wait for a second call.

She jumped, caught the railway, then hung as low as she could. "Hurry up!" she called back to Allen right before letting go. The girl lent on her feet, then stepped aside and waited for Allen. He was a little awkward with his jump, but managed to catch the railway just in time. Amara smiled in encouragement. "Now let go. Trust me!"

"Akuma!" Allen called just as he jumped into the street. "There are few over there, in the main square!"

The girl caught his shoulder. "I don't have my weapon and your arm is numb. We can't!"

"We'll find a way, then…" Allen mumbled.

"If we go there now, we'll get ourselves killed for nothing. We're defenseless."

Allen sighed. "You're right… What do we do, then? Where are your pins?"

The girl glared back at the burning inn. "Not there, that's for certain. I can't feel my Innocence there."

"You could activate it from a distance, right? Try that," Allen suggested and the girl did.

After trying several times, the girl kicked the ground with her foot. "They're too far! I can't call them!" It was a reference to her fighting style. The girl could attach a small string to the end of each pin, which would attach them to one of her fingers. That way, Amara could send her pins away in offense or 'call' them back if she ever lost them. "I can't believe it! That old fossil…!" she mumbled to herself.

"We don't have time for that. The Akuma are spreading through town," Allen said in a low voice.

"We'll need to hide. If someone tried to kill us at the inn, then I was right. Something really is happening here." Amara took Allen's hand and they ran through the darker streets and alleys, hiding from anyone passing by them.

"Do you think there is Innocence here?" Allen asked after a few people and an Akuma passed by. The boy kept his voice low and his eyes wide, looking for the tortured souls of Akuma.

"It could be…" Amara whispered back. "The old man must have slipped us something in the food. Either that, or he put something on the plates. Either way, it should wear out with time. If my guess is right, you will be soon able to activate your arm."

Nodding, Allen tried his arm again. It felt like it was about to activate, but it didn't last for more than a split second. "It's not as numb as it was before. Do you think he tried to kill us? But why would he burn down his inn? Unless…"

"Unless everything he said were lies," Amara finished the sentence for him.

"It did seem to match what we talked about earlier. He must have listened to our conversation. Down!" Allen whispered, pulling his friend in a darker corner just as two Akuma were flying above them. Amara wrapped her arms around his head and tried to cover his white hair. It would make them easy to see even in the dark.

"Once I can activate my arm, I'll go after them and you can try to find your weapon. We just need to stay hidden for a little longer." As soon as Allen closed his mouth, someone took a turn and began walking down the alley where they've been hiding. Instinctively, both children fell silent, their hearts racing in anticipation. If they tried to run, it would uncover their position. If not, the figure could find them. It was definitely human, walking towards them on a calm, constant step.

* * *

 _ **Authors' Notes:**_

 _Chapter proofread by **HardSonadowFanGirl.**_

 _Thank you, **Blob80,** for your review! We'll be waiting for more of you to leave us a review, to favorite and follow the story. _


	3. III - The Promise

_III - The Promise_

* * *

Amara elbowed Allen and drew his attention to the figure's eyes. They were the same brilliant green as the eyes of the inn keeper, but the one before them didn't seem old at all. After she signaled Allen to remain hidden, Amara got up and began walking towards the figure. She held onto a pipe found on the ground and forced her eyes to tear up a little bit.

"Oh, a _human_!" she cried as soon as she could be sure the man saw her. "Thank goodness! I apologize for my manners, sir, but I am simply glad to see someone human," the girl cried, jumping in the arms of the stranger.

Awkwardly, he pat her back and pushed her away. "No worries, young lady. May I ask what are you talking about?"

"There are those things – they're huge! – like floating balls of rags and guns and they shoot people everywhere! It's horrible, I've never seen anything like it. They're _everywhere_ , sir!" Amara continued with her role.

"Are you perfectly certain you have never came across anything alike, young lady?" the man asked her with a strange grin on his face. "I tend to believe otherwise." It was then when the girl felt her fragment of Innocence rather close.

With a smirk, she stood up straight and let out a little sigh. "Uh, it was getting pathetic… You know, the whole 'poor, scared me', running into the arms of a charming, mysterious you. I simply happen to hate scenes like this."

Surprised, the man's green eyes went wide as he felt the hair pin she had stolen from the girl ripping right through his coat. "My, that was one of my favorites…" he mumbled. "If only you would have mentioned it before, I could have locked these two jewels away."

Amara grinned her Cheshire Cat grin as the pins shot up into the sky, piercing through an Akuma before it got the chance to fire and falling back down. The second target was the man. He dodged easily, but one of the pins had scratched his arm.

"Let's dance~" Amara chuckled, following the man. She kept one pin with her for defense and sent the second out in offense. When she caught up with him though, the girl was in for a surprise. The man's arm had healed entirely. "Oh…? And what is that, pray tell?"

The man bowed as several Akuma were lining up behind him. "Your grand finale, young lady. If you will excuse me, I can't allow your cursed friend to get away."

Frowning, Amara began dodging bullets. She was on a killing spree, knocking down two Akuma at once thanks to her weapon. The girl thanked her master mentally for a moment before continuing on her mission. It sure was a pain dodging his bullets when it came to that – she hated that part of her training the most – but it came in very useful at times like this. Of course, her master never fired at her as fast as he would have at an enemy, but it could compare to being surrounded by two or three Akuma.

All this time, Allen had been running from Akuma, trying to dodge. He had no idea that he was being chased, driven further away from Amara and closer to the figure the girl attempted to fight just minutes before. The man's bright green eyes caught Allen's attention.

"Step away! If they hit you, you'll die! These monsters-!" but the white-haired boy stopped once he saw the mocking grin on the other's face.

"Is that so…? I believe your cousin will soon be experiencing it first-hand," the man laughed. "After that, I can destroy those pretty little hair pins of hers. But for now, let's focus on you. Do you mind telling me again about your scarred arm and white hair? It so happens that my memory is short when I neglect myself so badly."

Allen looked at the man baffled. "Wait… But why are you… fighting us?! It's the Akuma we should be fighting. You use Innocence, don't you? We're on the same side!"

The man rose his hand and gave the Akuma a signal, as two of them began firing. Allen had no choice but to try and fight back, but his arm was barely moving. He succeeded in activating his weapon, but it was heavy and difficult to control. Instead, the boy used his arm as a shield, as he was driven into a corner and against the wall.

"The reason is simple. The Black Order was a couple of days too late. You see, I've got a better offer than dying for the sake of humanity. I can join the Earl instead!"

Confused and revolted, Allen tried to stand up. "No! Don't believe him – he's a liar! The Earl will trick you and turn you into a weapon."

Grinning, the man with the green eyes took a few steps back. "I'm afraid this won't be the case now. My wife will become an Akuma. At first, she won't be any different from those, but with time, I will have her back completely – with her memories, her personality, her beauty…" The man sighed. "And the Innocence will be keeping me forever young and healthy!"

Allen's eyes went wide just as he felt a bullet go through his shoulder. Still, he kept using his arm. "He's lying! The Earl will destroy your Innocence and kill you. Don't trust him!" the boy yelled.

"It seems like a fair deal to me. I will fight for him and I doubt the Order can make me a better offer, so say your prayers, cursed exorcist!" The man crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the two Akuma were firing at Allen. "By the looks of it, you've already been hit. How does it feel to have a virus spreading? To know you will not be able to heal?"

"Has the Earl… told you about me?" Allen grinned a little as he struggled to stand. "My Innocence won't let that happen. If it's one thing I don't have to worry about, it's the virus!" With his arm in pain, Allen knew he would soon be able to fight back. A moment later, he was jumping in the air, slicing through one of the Akuma and then going for the other.

From the other end of the street, Amara appeared. Her clothes had a few rips and blood stains, but it didn't seem to be her own. She had her pins hanging from her index fingers, balancing beside her. "Prince charming…? Where have you gone in such a hurry?"

Turning around, the man's eyes went wide. "You were supposed to be dead!"

"Oh, is that so…? Well, you were supposed to be a bag of old bones. Which one of us rebelled against God's will first?" the girl chuckled. "Before we dance, dear prince, let me ask something. Where is your Innocence?"

"As if I am foolish enough to reveal it!" the man yelled back in anger. "Akuma! Rise!" At his command, several people began walking towards them – children, women, even the elderly – as they broke free from their human skins and rose into the air.

Sighing, the girl rolled her eyes. "Rice bean? Get the Innocence!" As soon as she said it, the girl began attacking the Akuma and dodging their bullets. Her Innocence wasn't parasitic, which meant one hit would have been fatal. From this point of view, it was fair to say she envied Allen.

The boy went after the green-eyed man as he ran through the tight, twisted streets of the city. Entering a building, the man began running up the stairs to the top floor, then out on to the roof. When he turned back, he didn't see anyone, so for a moment the man caught his breath. Once he looked forward though, he came face to face with Allen.

"That's enough! Give us the Innocence and come with us." the boy plead.

"I can't!" the man yelled back. "Idiots! I _can't_! Don't you see it?! My Innocence is what keeps me alive – it heals me until I return to my age of full strength. I won't let you take it from me!" The man jumped off the roof and landed feet first in the street, running once again.

"No, wait! Listen to me, we can make it work!" The boy was so tired, he thought his legs would give in under his weight, but followed the other regardless. "You can still use it…!"

But as the man kept running, he came across an Akuma standing in his way. "What are you doing, you idiot? Attack him!" he pointed back at Allen. Still, the weapon did not respond. "That's an order! Attack him!" the man kept his arm pointed at Allen, but the Akuma was staring down at him.

For a moment, Allen stopped on the spot. He had no idea what was going to happen. A few seconds ago, the Akuma were listening to the green-eyed man, but now it seemed to be ignoring the order. That's when it hit him… "Get out of there!" he yelled. "They're no longer on your side!"

"What?! No… Impossible! The Earl created them for-!" Before he could finish, the Akuma had already began firing - not at Allen, but at the green-eyed man.

Allen jumped up, attaching the weapon. Tears were clouding his vision. He was sorry not only for the soul he could see, suffering in agony, but also for the innkeeper tricked by the Earl. He began taking his rage out on the Akuma, landing hit after hit until it was no more. He wanted to see at least one soul finding their peace…

Returning to the innkeeper's side, Allen saw him reaching for a pocket watch that landed a little ways away. He was even older than the first time they met, the skin barely hanging from his bones and his eyes drying in their sockets. Black stars spread on the man's body.

"Here! Take it!" Allen rushed and gave him the watch. It began to shine, but all it was capable of doing was prolonging the man's suffering.

"…Why?! Ac… Activate!" the man stuttered, desperately looking at the watch. "Active…"

"Old man, what can I do to help you?" Allen asked. He hated being as helpless as he was then, simply watching a man die in agony without any chance of recovering.

The watch stopped glowing and the green in the man's eyes faded to gray. "…I see," he said on a faint voice. "I be… I betrayed… you," he sighed. The moment he let the watch fall from his hand, now looking more like a skeleton, the man's skin began to fall apart and he turned into dust.

Allen felt the cold chills of grievance spreading through his spine. He could not save him… A good man, an accommodator of Innocence too – and he could not save him. He had fallen for the Earl's dirty lies and promises! Allen felt a sob wracking his throat as he tried to hold back from crying. He picked up the pocket watch and opened it. Inside, it was glowing green. Immediately, he closed it and put it in a pocket on the inside of his coat.

A few moments later, Amara approached him. "What happened here?" She had her pins in one hand and looked rather exhausted.

"I got the Innocence…" Allen mumbled.

"What about Prince charming?" the girl asked with a smile, only for it to fade into shock. "Wait… You killed him?!"

"What?! No!" Allen yelled. "How could you think of that?! He…" Sighing, he continued. "He made a deal with the Earl. An Akuma did it, then his Innocence refused to heal him."

"A deal, huh…?" Amara repeated, falling into a state of numbness. The hatred she felt for the Earl was too dangerous to let out. Instead, she has been suppressing it for years, hiding it behind an apparently eternal grin and a seemingly joyful laugh. "Let's go."

The two began walking towards the train station. The city was dark, silent, covered in the remains of Akuma. The flames of the inn had taken over more than a quarter of the ghost town. It appeared everyone there had been turned into Akuma or killed during the hunt. To Allen, the silence was unbearable.

"Amara… Why do people confide in him? Even those with Innocence…" he mumbled. The boy took a seat on a wooden bench as they waited for the early morning train.

"How would I know?" the girl spat back. She kept walking back and forth, looking at the clock and in the direction from which the train should appear. She was not in the mood to be thinking about the Earl.

For the following two hours, they didn't speak. Allen couldn't understand why an accommodator would make a deal with the Earl, while Amara was trying hard to keep her calm, cheerful façade. Neither of the two were making any progress by the time their train came and after they found a compartment, sleep took over. Not much happened for the following two weeks. The two kept traveling, barely stopping for a couple of hours at a time in small towns or villages. Amara had decided they should avoid staying in one place any second more than necessary and Allen had to comply. The boy could understand why she was growing suspicious from the smallest things, so he tried to avoid asking for detailed explanations. From this point of view, Amara and their master were alike – none of them liked to explain their reasons, not even when they seemed to be in a good mood.

Finally making their way to Europe, they decided to stop at the border of Turkey and rest. "Tomorrow morning we can take a boat to Italy. It will shorten the time we spend traveling," Amara offered him an explanation as they were looking for a place where they could eat a lot at a cheap price.

Nodding, Allen sighed. "Fine… But can't I go play some cards or something? I could make some more money and we could afford to eat somewhere."

"Just don't get in trouble. You have one hour. We meet in the central square." Amara began to trust her friend with the gambles and cards. The kid was good at it… He never lost, which often got him in trouble. If he was cheating or not, Amara had no idea – she had no desire to find out either. As long as he returned with some money, she was cool with it.

After all, the girl never questioned the methods. She could have – especially with a master like theirs. General Cross had some… unorthodox methods that he used sometimes. Perhaps, in a way, he had shaped her belief this way. Who could tell now? Children's minds were so easily altered, their master could have influenced them both without even intending it. Either way, it was unimportant. What mattered was that Amara felt someone's eyes glued to her in a quite disturbing way.

Turning on her heels, the girl noticed a little blond boy dressed up in clothes a little too small for him and with his face covered. Round blue eyes were staring up at her silently. It reminded Amara of her little cousin who had died in the fire that turned her family's restaurant into ashes. Softening her violet eyes, the girl bent down and smiled.

"What's wrong, little boy? Are you lost?" she asked in a gentle voice, uncertain of how the child would react.

"Here," he said as he took one of her hands and placed something inside her fist. "It's yours."

Opening her fist, Amara saw a tiny violet glass flower sitting in her palm. She instantly recognized it. Her hairpins were decorated with many tiny glass flowers alike to that one. "Thank you! Where have you found it?"

The boy looked back. "Around the corner. It's pretty, so I took it, but then I saw you and I knew it was yours."

"Well, it's the right thing to do. When you can, always return what's not yours, alright?" Amara ruffled the boy's already messy blond hair, then gave him back the flower. "You can keep it, or try to sell it."

Instantly, she saw the boy's eyes shining with joy. "Thank you, miss!" Next thing she knew, the child was already running back to a group of three men. "Tyki, she said I can keep it!"

Although she felt her heart trembling with pain, Amara smiled brightly and waved as the group went on. All of them returned the gesture and one man picked up the child. Amara looked at him closely – he didn't look bad at all… Not with that bone structure and impressive height. He seemed comfortable in his ragged shirt and jeans, but Amara would have paid to see him in a suit at least once, with that messy hair combed into shape and maybe a hat… Yes, and without those strange glasses.

The girl had to close her eyes in order to look elsewhere. Once she snapped out of her daydream, she cringed – had she been really staring at a man in the middle of the street?! That was too reckless even for her. She sighed, just as Timcanpy was flying up to her fast.

The golem flew around her for a moment or two, then sat on her shoulder and looked down. From around the corner, Amara saw a cat wagging its tail in annoyance. Growling, it meowed up at Timcanpy, then began backing away.

"Oh, dear… Again?" she laughed, petting the golem on its head. "Stop playing with cats, alright?" Instead of an answer, the golem set its wings flat against the girl's shoulder and moved closer to her neck. "Let's find a place to stay the night. Are there any finders or friends of the Order in town?"

After a few moments, the golden little creature took flight again. It went in circles a couple of times, then chose a direction. Of course, Amara followed its lead and soon enough, they came across quite an impressive hotel with three floors. The girl walked in confidently. All of the lights seemed to be on, but it was unusually quiet.

Cautious, she walked through the lobby, looking for someone to ask about a room. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be there. One of the doors that were supposed to lead to a staff-only room was slightly open, so Amara took the chance and pushed it. The door swung back until it hit the wall behind it, revealing nothing but red stains on the carpet. Even so, Amara went in. She wanted to see if the blood belonged to somebody wounded or if the victim was already dead. Certainly, it didn't look like an Akuma attack – there were no signs of a struggle or destruction. Instead, it seemed whoever had been injured had no idea their life was just about to end.

"Timmy," the girl addressed the golem, "Go and find Allen. Bring him here, but be more cautious than usual. Hurry!" The golem didn't waste any second, flying outside the hotel in a rush.

Once alone, Amara took out her weapons and began exploring the place. Wherever she went, the girl found the same strange blood stains. They were only on the floor, without any other drops or splashes that would have suggested a possible fight.

Allen was just winning at cards when he saw Timcanpy flying outside the window. The golden little creature looked panicked, so he hurried outside as soon as he finished the game and took the money he had won.

"What is it, Tim?" the white-haired boy asked, only to see the golem flying straight up ahead of him. "Hey, wait up! Where are we going?!" Of course, Allen received no answer, but that was only to be expected.

Outside the hotel, he found Amara with her hair pins extended and hanging from the fingers of her right hand. Her face looked pale. The boy's eyes widened when he saw what she had on her left arm. "…We're late, yet again," she spoke, throwing the black coat trimmed in silver on the stairs of the hotel. "I found five in different rooms of the hotel, along with several backpacks carried by Finders. Timcanpy led me here. It used to be a meeting point for exorcists and finders and a cheap refuge."

Shocked, the boy took a step back. "But… The building looks fine! And I haven't heard a fight going on. I mean, have you? We should have noticed it – we've been in town since noon." He couldn't believe it. Allen looked at the rose cross that shined on the black coat without even a drop of blood or a scratch. The coat was also in a pretty good condition. It could have passed for a new one anytime if it wasn't for a ripped button.

"Yes, I've noticed that aspect," the girl replied in a sarcastic tone. "Do you know what else I've found? Warm cups of tea and coffee, food in the oven, lit cigarettes. Whoever did this had just finished perhaps a few minutes before Timmy and I got here. All of the exorcist uniforms have the same button missing. Do you know what I haven't found, even if I should have?"

Frowning, Allen shook his head. "…Signs of a fight?"

"Aside from that." After a moment, Amara walked up to him. "Dead bodies, rice bean. There are none – absolutely none. I've checked out the first floor entirely. I don't think it's worth going to the other two floors. This looks like the work of one person, and I tend to believe we both know what kind of people are capable of such things."

Allen nodded. "You may be right. What do we do, then? Take the first train and leave? If a member of the clan is here, I don't think we can fight and still come out alive. We need to reach the Or-!"

Before he could finish, Amara had already slapped her hand over his mouth. "From now on, let's avoid mentioning anything. If they find out about us, we won't stand a chance." she explained in a hushed voice.

Taking her hand away, Allen sighed. "What if they already know?" he asked.

"Then… we'd better pick up the pace, rice bean. I get the feeling we're going to be next."

Frowning, Allen followed beside her as they walked towards the train station. "…Stop calling me that."

"Why not? You're small and white, like a rice bean." Amara chuckled, but her eyes were vigilantly scanning for any dangers. She wished that her master could be there with them. That way, they would no longer have to be afraid of a possible confrontation with a Noah – their master would take care of that, even if it happened. For now though, they had to avoid even the slightest possibility of a confrontation.

"That's exactly why! I hate it, alright?!" Allen snapped, making Amara to look at him with wide eyes. "…Sorry. It just reminds me of Mana, that's all."

The girl pinned her hair in place with her weapon. "I thought you liked Mana," she said in a seemingly bored voice. Just as she thought he would, Allen sighed and continued with an explanation of some sort.

"It doesn't remind me of him in the best way. It reminds me of a mistake I've made…" The boy lowered his head and looked at his feet as he kept following Amara.

"Oh, come on! You were a kid – what could you have possibly done that was so bad? I mean, even grown-ups make mistakes. It's no big deal, as long as you can find a way to fix it," she tried to cheer him up and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"…I guess," he mumbled. Allen didn't dare tell her about his past mistake and in return, he didn't ask about her past either. He had a general idea about Amara and she had a general idea about him, but that was all.

As night came, the two took the boat to their next destination. "…Hey, Allen?" the girl said at some point. It was around midnight and they were alone.

Allen was looking outside the window, following the shadowy waves and the stars and the moon reflected on the water surface. Leaning against the cold glass, he looked exhausted and had the air of someone a little older. "Hmm…?"

"Do you know where his grave is?" Amara asked in a low voice. "We could stray a little, you know…? I doubt anyone would notice."

He looked at her briefly before turning back towards the dark landscape. "…I don't remember, but in a way, he's always with me." Allen put on a weak, hopeful smile that showed more pain than he would have liked to admit.

Amara gave him a bittersweet smirk. "You're lucky, then."

Curious, Allen turned towards her again. "What do you mean?"

"Luckier than you think… Rice bean," she chuckled, avoiding the answer. Amara watched the boy as he shrugged and yawned. He was not aware of it, but he had two caretakers in this world. Amara had promised herself to not ever let him end up like her little cousin did, brutally murdered at the hands of the Noah and the Millennium Earl. On the other hand, Mana always being with him was his other caretaker. _'So foolish… He still feels lonely and abandoned…'_

Allen tried to find a comfortable position. He was so tired, he could barely keep his eyes open anymore. To him, Amara was a strange girl. She could torture him with cruel jokes and mean words one moment, then look at him in such a way… almost like she envied him. But that couldn't be true, right? He was cursed and it showed – he could never have a normal life or approach anyone without them backing away and staring at him as if he was some oddity. Not even their master cared about him too much. No… The general liked Amara better. He even crafted her weapon and trained her himself several times. The boy frowned. He shouldn't be thinking of such silly things… It didn't matter, anyway. What mattered now was for them to make it to the Black Order alive and with the innkeeper's Innocence in their possession.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _Chapter proofread by the beta **HardSonadowFanGirl.**_


	4. IV - A Marking of Pure Evil

_IV - A Marking of Pure Evil_

* * *

For several days, they gave up the thought of sleeping in a decent bed. Jumping from one train to another, the two had been crossing the continent until they eventually reached the British Islands. Amara's mood had been down ever since they left France behind.

"What's with this weather? Not even two minutes of sunshine since we set foot here?" she complained, watching the few rays that peeked through the thick blanket of clouds and smog. "It's so depressing! November in Italy is more joyful! And why is everything here so gray? The people, the houses, the streets – even the sky!"

The two had hooked a ride with some circus artists. They were sitting in the back of their caravan as Timcanpy was flying around.

"It's always been like this," one of the circus artists said. The fat man offered them both a package. "Looks like you could use some food."

"Oh, wow! Thank you!" Allen smiled brightly. He was trying his best to stay positive. "Isn't this weather Master's favorite?" he noted, turning towards Amara.

"He likes rain, but I doubt he's such a fan of fog, cold wind and constant shade." she answered him.

"Are you on a trip?" a woman in a bodysuit asked them both while pushing her colleague away. She was wearing a bunny mask that Amara thought to be quite creepy.

"No, ma'am. We're just on our way to an important place," the boy answered in a joyful tone.

"Oh…? And where is that?" the same woman asked.

"It's only important for us. You see, our uncle sent us at a certain address," Amara answered as she put on her trade-mark grin.

"My! Who would send two children traveling alone? What an irresponsible man! Your uncle sounds really awful." the bunny woman commented. All this time, Allen had been trying to make her stop talking. He could already see something bad happening, knowing Amara and her devotion for their master.

Amara turned towards the circus artist and pressed one hairpin flat against the woman's chest, going between the woman's breasts and with the tip pointing under her chin. "He had his reasons. Now, would you please stop judging him so harshly? This supposedly awful, irresponsible man had brought up the both of us after some rather unfortunate events in our lives."

With fright goose bumps all over her, the woman in the bunny mask leaned back. She held her hands up in a peace keeping gesture and laughed nervously. "I-I'm sorry, my bad!"

Smiling brightly, Amara put her hairpin back and caught a few loose strands with it. "Alright." The girl sighed briefly. "Are we there yet…?" she asked as innocently as a little child.

Sighing and shaking his head, Allen wished he could just pretend he didn't know her at all. It was moments like this one that made him feel embarrassed to be associated with his friend and team mate. Well, Amara preferred to pretend they were cousins, but they both knew that was just another lie she told everyone. But that was unimportant. What mattered was that a cat had laid its paws on a tiny, golden tail.

"Timcanpy!" Allen cried out loud as he saw his golden golem being swallowed by a big, fat cat. Not wasting any second, the boy jumped off and ran after the cat, chasing it through the streets.

"Allen?!" Amara yelled after him. "Oh, not again…" she whined and rolled her eyes. Taking out some cash, she handled the money to the man who offered them the food. "Thank you very much for the ride. Please excuse us and have a good day!" Smiling brightly, the girl jumped high in the air, spun a few times, landing on her feet and began running after her little rice bean. The circus artists looked at each other in confusion, trying to understand what had just happened.

After some time, Allen eventually caught up with the cat when it snuck inside of an old abandoned church. Without a second thought, the white-haired boy went and followed some bats in their flight in order to hide his location. Once he had a target, he caught it and went upstairs into a room left open.

"I got'cha!" he grinned, convinced he had caught the cat. Once the bats flew away though, he saw he had caught a woman dressed up in blue with the cat resting in her arms. Surprised, he backed away. "Who are you?! What are you doing in this place?" But before he could get an answer, the boy found his wrist locked in a handcuff.

"You just made a big mistake," the woman said once she had caught her breath.

"You're a cop?!" That was when Allen realized he was in trouble. Getting involved with the Police was the last thing he needed!

"That's right… and you're under arrest!"

Scared of what Amara might do to him if she found out he's been harassing a cop, Allen held his hands up in defense. "Look, I'm really sorry! I was just trying to catch that cat! I guess… I got a little carried away and got a hold of you instead. It's okay – believe me! I'm one of the good guys." He tried to put on a smile – it seemed to work for Amara every time, right?

Tying the boy's hand to one of the bars of the window, the policewoman had him sit on a chair for questioning. "You seem familiar with this place."

"Who, me? It was just my luck…" When Allen saw the look she gave him, he began to panic. "Really! I'm not even from around here! …If you don't mind me asking, what's with this place?"

"People who take refuge in this church are said to mysteriously disappear. Do you know anything about that?" but when Allen shook his head in confusion, the policewoman sighed. It didn't make sense to her why would a kid venture in such a place.

"I honestly had no idea this place had such a stigma surrounding it," the boy said. "I just got into town a few hours ago on a train and then I ran into this annoying little cat." Glaring at the animal that was now bathing, Allen continued. "The fur ball ate something important of mine so I chased him. Next thing I knew, I was in here." He smiled brightly. How could Amara talk her way out of anything?! "You think I'm making this up?! Master said it was my responsibility now that he's gone and that he'd have my head if I lost it!"

"Really…?" the woman raised an eyebrow. "May I speak to this Master…?"

Allen began to laugh nervously. How do you refuse a cop and not get yourself arrested…? "S-sorry, he went missing in India a few weeks ago…" he eventually mumbled. This wasn't believable at all and he knew it. As if to mock him for his pathetic excuse, the cat jumped on his lap and meowed in his face. "This is all your fault!"

Just then, a loud noise could be heard from downstairs and the church began to shake. "Just hold on a sec! I'll go get my partner and I'll be right back!" With those words, the woman ran out of the room only to find herself in the middle of a battlefield. Her partner had crawled in a corner, sobbing and trembling in fright.

There was a strange monster in the air, looking like a giant ball of rags and dirt with guns poking out of its core and a creepy theater mask. A girl was jumping all around, turning and twisting her body like a trained gymnast. There were two flashes of violet light speeding through the air, blocking the bullets shot by the rag ball with its monstrous appearance.

"Get them out of here!" the gymnast yelled as soon as Allen ran down the stairs and reached the policewoman. "I can handle it." Grinning from ear to ear, the girl jumped as high as the ceiling allowed her, falling straight towards the monster with the two flashes of light pointing down.

Unfortunately though, before Allen could reach the policeman in the corner, a bullet of the Akuma had already infected him with the lethal virus. Black inverted stars covered the man's skin entirely as he tried to scream in agony, but couldn't find the air in his lungs. Despair and fright spread on his face as he rolled his eyes back, paralyzed and feeling his body burst like a poisonous bubble.

Allen covered the policewoman's mouth with his sleeve. When Amara's pins pierced the Akuma's mask, it let out a blood-chilling sound and exploded. The girl lifted up the collar of her blouse over her mouth and nose, trying her best to hold her breath for long enough. This had always been a problem for her. Amara couldn't be near an Akuma when it was being destroyed. She had to cover her mouth and close her eyes, to get out of there as soon as possible and tear out any smoke that might have gotten into her eyes.

Allen watched for a moment as Amara rushed out of the abandoned church, gasping for air. "Are you alright?" he asked the woman. When she nodded, he quickly changed his sleeve with hers, well aware he was too short to keep his hand over her mouth if they stood up. "Breathe easy. Can you walk? Let's go outside."

Sitting on the stairs, Amara was looking up towards the sky. "…Is she alright, rice bean?"

"I am, thanks for worrying, but you are not. We are going to the police section. I have to ask you a few questions-!" the woman began as soon as she felt fresh air filling her lungs, only to be interrupted by Amara.

"Sorry, I don't have time to be arrested and neither does rice bean. All you need to know is that thing was an Akuma," the girl began, "a demon that's a result of grief with a tortured human soul at its core. Rice bean and I use Innocence to set free the soul trapped inside. We are exorcists, if it helps make it any clearer. That's all." With her face clear of the slightest hint of empathy, the girl stood up and pinned her hair in place. "Come on, rice bean."

"But didn't you say we shouldn't talk about it? And she's a cop and I caught her by mistake, we should at least go for a few questions…" the boy tried.

Once she saw Allen staying behind, the policewoman handcuffed him. "You are coming with me."

Caught in between, Allen had no idea what he could say to make it all better. If there was one thing he knew, it was never to stand between two angry women again. Amara may not have looked at them, but he could tell she was mad by the way she held her arms crossed over her chest and leaned on one leg. "Um, excuse me… Amara? I-I can't really…" Before he could finish, one of the girl's hair pins had already broken the chain keeping the handcuffs together.

"Hurry up, will you?" she sighed in annoyance, walking a few steps forward.

"What, do you expect me to believe that was some kind of demon?! Defying a police officer is a serious offense! Get back here, young lady!" the woman called after her, only to come face to face with a very cold glare from Amara.

"That is more or less what I said before. You have witnessed something quite difficult to explain in any other… reasonable way, am I right? Goodbye." The girl was holding the stray cat in her arms a little too tightly, walking away from the police officer without another word.

Allen avoided the woman as well as he laughed nervously and joined Amara. "…Was that necessary?"

"Was this necessary?" she asked in return, squeezing the cat's belly and bending it over her palm until it eventually puked out Timcanpy. "Or you assaulting a police officer. Or the death of her partner."

The boy lowered his head as Timcanpy flew around a few times, trying to shake off the cat spit from its wings. "No… But she deserved some answers. Besides, we are almost there, right? It's not like we will be late for anything important, anyway."

"She got her answers," the girl replied coldly, finally setting the cat down. Hissing from a few feet away, the cat ran away as quickly as it could. "Allen, I asked you to take both of them out, not to watch me fight. You were three meters away from him, at most."

The boy kept looking down, walking half a step behind her. "I'm sorry, I didn't see the bullet."

Amara sighed. "Then we're going to fix that in the following months. Let's train together as much as we can and I'll get you used to high speed bullets."

Allen stopped for a second. Was she serious about it? He knew Amara had been training alone with their master several times, which was most likely why she was better than him in battle, but… It was the first time he could remember when Amara asked him to train with her. No, it was rather her offering to train him. Either way, the boy smiled brightly and caught up with her. "Yeah, thanks!"

Throwing him a half smirk, Amara continued to walk towards the Black Order's headquarters. It didn't amaze her as it was in a place with low accessibility, though Allen found it a little creepy. "Well, looks like the only way for us is up."

Nodding, Allen began climbing. "What are these? Golems?" he asked once they had reached the top and caught their breath. No matter how used they both were to long training sessions and killing morning routines, climbing up a cliff with dark bat-like creatures flapping their wings all around was challenging.

Amara nodded. "I think so. Nowhere near as evolved as Timmy though."

Hearing the compliment, Timcanpy flew backwards once and shot straight ahead of them. It was always pleased to be called superior.

"…Well, if they're golems, why isn't anyone welcoming us?"

The boy had a point, Amara had to admit that. "I think I might have an idea why…" she mumbled.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Allen shouted at the gate. "My name is Allen Walker and hers is Amaranta Salvatore. We were referred here by General Marian Cross. We're here to request a meeting with an executive of the Order." However, nothing seemed to change.

"Is this place run by idiots? Or are these golems just decorative?" the girl asked, not expecting any answer. "Hey! Are you defying our Master?"

The moment Amara was done talking, a statue head on the gate came out and looked at them both. Its eyes shined with light and it spoke in a deep voice. 'Prepare for an X-Ray Exam to determine whether you are human or Akuma.'

Allen froze in shock while Amara simply covered her eyes. "Do we look like killing machines to you?! We use Innocence, for God's sake!" she tried to protest, but it didn't change a thing.

The statue took a long look at her. 'Definitely human!' it said right before moving onto analyzing Allen. '…What's wrong with this thing?' it asked after a couple of moments. 'I can't get a reading.'

"Come on, say it. He's human, obviously!" Amara rolled her eyes.

The guardian's eyes began spinning in all directions. It backed away all of a sudden, yelling like its life depended on it. 'FIRE! He has a marking of pure evil on his face! A pentacle is a mark of an Akuma! He's been sent here by the Millennium Earl! He's come to kill us! He's a spy! A spy-!'

Frightened, Allen stood there frozen. He had turned even paler than before, confused and terrified of what was going to happen next. He didn't even have time to explain when a dark shadow descended from above. The person stopped above the gate, taking out a katana from its sheath. Amara's eyes were gleaming as a wide grin spread on her face.

"You're either fearless or stupid for showing your face here alone." the young man addressed Allen. The two couldn't see him well, but they could both tell he was tall and wore his hair in a long ponytail.

While Allen was freaking out, Amara took the time to wave. "Hello, Mr. Mysterious? He's not alone, you see. I mean, I may not be as tall as you, but please notice I am here, too."

Jumping down, he almost looked like he was flying. Mumbling something, he descended over Allen in full force, striking his arm with the glowing katana. Startled, Allen looked at his arm in shock. It had a long, deep cut on the outside of his wrist.

"Are you alright?" the warrior asked in a sarcastic tone. "Your arm is about to explode."

"It's my Anti-Akuma weapon! After all, I am an exorcist," Allen answered him.

Amara was pursing her lips, tapping her fingers over her arm. "You're finally done wetting your pants, rice bean. That's some progress. Now if you will, please allow me to clarify this grave misunderstanding." Taking out her pins, the girl stepped in front of Allen.

"Wait, what…?! I can handle it myself! Stop embarrassing me!" the boy protested.

By that time, Kanda was already glaring at the statue head. "Gatekeeper?!" he growled with anger.

'Look at the mark on his face! Just because he says he's human doesn't mean he is! I'd rather be safe than sorry!' it began whining.

"But I am human, you idiot!" Allen rushed to defend himself. "It is true that I'm cursed, but I'm an exorcist – I swear it's true!"

"That's enough," Kanda interrupted the argument. "The only way to know for sure is to cut you open!" Activating his weapon again, he was just preparing to strike again when he felt the blade being pulled back. It was wrapped up in a thin string of metal, barely visible but rather resistant with a long, thin needle at one end balancing back and forth. "What's that?"

"Unfortunately, I can't let that happen. Just because a gatekeepers acting like an elephant in front of a mouse and clearly lacking vital information therefor jumping to conclusions does not mean Allen is an Akuma. Now, how about you show us around? We could talk it through over some tea?" the girl grinned, only to fall backwards when the string attaching one of her pins to her finger broke as easily as a spider web.

Kanda was glaring at her. "Are you protecting an Akuma? Prepare to be slaughtered by the mighty Mugen!" Turning his rage on her, the exorcist stopped with his sword almost touching her neck.

Allen was panicking again when he saw the situation getting out of hand. "This is a-a misunderstanding! There should have b-been a… a recommendation letter sent by General Cross! I-It should have got here a-a month ago!"

"See? No need to get all violent, darling," Amara purred, using her pins to move away his sword from her throat and find her way into his arms. "How about we start again? Call me Amara."

Frowning in embarrassment and confusion, Kanda backed away, pointing his sword at her again. "A letter? From the General?"

The girl nodded. "Yup! To Komui the irresponsible, if I were to judge by nobody here welcoming us in a more civilized way."

"I-I don't think it's such a good idea to insult someone w-we don't know…!" Allen mumbled in a low voice, taking a few steps towards Amara.

Rolling her eyes, the girl sighed. "Well, he can't convince me he is a responsible man now," she said loud enough to make sure whoever was watching them had heard her clearly. A moment later, the gatekeeper statue opened the gates.

'Allen Walker and Amaranta Salvatore, your access has been granted!' a voice could be heard from one of the golems. Allen sighed in relief.

"Hey, Komui? Mind filling me in?" Kanda asked, glaring towards the bat-like device.

"Well, I know I wouldn't~" Amara purred from behind him. Using his shoulders to lift herself up, the girl jumped and punched the gatekeeper's eye before lending back down. "We would make a wonderful team; don't you think so?"

While Kanda was glaring daggers at her and Allen was saying his prayers, preparing himself for another round of the fight, Komui eventually responded through the golem. 'Sorry about that! The kids check out. They're General Cross's apprentices. Plus, having Timcanpy with them is proof enough, wouldn't you say? Okay, section leader, let's apologize! …Let them go, Kanda. They're safe and on our side.'

Allen side-stepped between them before Kanda could attack Amara again. "Please? Please, please, please, please!"

'But she hurt my eye,' the gatekeeper cried.

"Kanda, stop it!" a girl said after kitting him over the head with a clipboard. "Enough with the macho head games! Now you three get inside before I close the gate!"

Amara chuckled and walked inside on her toes, looking around and up on the ceiling. "My, this place is in desperate need of some serious decorations. It looks so plain and gray, my eyes will die of boredom!"

Allen and Kanda were still staring at the girl with the twin pigtails. Kanda was enraged, perhaps more so than before, while Allen was simply confused. Where did she come from? And how come Kanda didn't fight her right away?

"I said, get in!" she repeated again and this time, the two obeyed. Once the gates were closed, the girl smiled politely. "Nice meeting you. I'm Lenalee, the Chief's assistant."

Lenalee was leading them though one corridor when Allen noticed Kanda walking the opposite way. "Kanda…?" the boy asked. "Please tell me I got your name right. No hard feelings?" he smiled politely, setting down his suitcase and offering to shake hands with the other.

"…What fool would actually shake your hand knowing that you're cursed?" Kanda asked in return, continuing on his way alone.

Amara knew those words had hit a sensitive spot, but decided not to intervene. First, because Allen had to learn to manage on his own, at least at an emotional level. Second, because Lenalee was already taking care of his bruised ego.

"Don't mind him," she chuckled. "He's been on edge since he got back from his last assignment."

Lenalee led them through the long corridors of the headquarters. She introduced them to the training floor, the dining hall and the lobby. At some point, Allen noticed two guards whispering about his white hair and the mark he had on his cheek. They had already heard that he was cursed, but they couldn't believe how young he was.

By the time they reached the bedrooms' floor, Lenalee had started talking about the headquarters like an institution. "If they're not on assignments, this is where exorcists spend all their time. In fact, most of them start calling our headquarters their home." She said, watching the white-haired boy analyzing the floors.

"That's nice… Just like a family?" he asked, following the girl's steps.

"Although, there are some who don't come back on purpose." Lenalee continued, reminding both Allen and Amara of their master, who said repeatedly that he hated the headquarters. Allen looked at Amara while she simply shrugged and continued walking. "General Cross… He was with you in India, right?" she asked both of them after a short break.

"We were, about three months ago…" the boy began, remembering what happened while they were in India. "He called me to have a talk about something important, so I went, but I never thought he would send me and Amara alone all the way here. He asked me if I know where the headquarters are. He also left me Tim, so he could guide us, and then… he knocked me out with a hammer. When I woke up, he was already gone." he said with a sigh, still terrified by the memory of that morning.

All this time, Amara was distracting herself with the pattern on the floor, the lack of taste in decorations had her thinking up ideas on how the place could be brought to life. "Because you are immature and couldn't have handled a different type of goodbye. Eventually, you will come to understand his reasons." she calmly explained.

"Wait, so your master knocked you unconscious, and then ran off?!" Lenalee asked, surprised to hear of such an unorthodox method. "And you are defending him?" she asked Amara.

"Well, I never said that's what I would have done, but he had his reasons. We said our goodbyes the night before. He told me to take care of you, rice bean, and that he will be staying in India a couple of days after we started on our journey. So you see, I really wasn't joking when I said he won't be glad to find us still at the hotel when he came back." The girl had a grin on her face that spoke of pride and superiority.

Allen, on the other hand, was sighing for the hundredth time that day. "…Then I bet you even know where he went next."

The phrase had caught Lenalee's attention. "How close were you to General Cross…?" There was a hint of suspicion in her voice which amused Amara.

"Nowhere near that close, darling! And no, I don't have any idea. In fact, I'm glad he didn't tell me. There are Noah and occasionally Akuma who are capable of twisting the mind, so by not knowing anything, he is keeping us both safer than our mouths ever could." Chuckling, the girl decided to change the subject. "Lenalee? You said you were close to the irresponsible man running this place. Can we make a few changes here? I'm not talking anything administrative, I'm simply talking about esthetics. The entire building is so gray and dull!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _Chapter proofread by **HardSonadowFanGirl,** as always. Please excuse out absence. We are still working on the story and the next chapter will be out soon. Support of any kind is very welcome and appreciated at its finest! Reviews are always loved, just like favorites, follows, and even messages. _

_-NightOwl_


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